Automatic flag-raising attachment



Aug. 31, 1954 E. P. CHRISMAN AUTOMATIC FLAG-RAISING ATTACHMENT Original Filed Dec. 4, 1950 IIYVENTOR. E Imer P. Chrlsmon ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 31, 1954 Elmer P. Chrisman, Glarkston, Wash.

Substituted for abandoned application Serial No.

199,131, December 4, 1950.

This application November 9, 1953, Serial No. 390,945 a 1 Claim. 1

This invention is an automatic flag raising attachment which may be used on rural mail boxes. The application is substituted for my abandoned application filed December :4, 1950 Ser. No. 199,131.

It is one object of the invention to provide an auxiliary flag on a rural mail box which is expressly for the purpose of notifying the patron that the mail carrier has deposited mail in the box.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of an indicating flag with a. lever for picking up the flag when the door or cover for the mail box has been opened and closed during the process of depositing mail therein.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of an indicating flag with a resilient spring arm which may be released from the lever head and lowered when it is not desired to indicate mail has been deposited in the box.

provided to receive the shackle of a padlock for the purpose of locking the box.

. Thebox is formed of metal and has vertical side walls 9 joined at their top edges by an arcuate portion In. The usual bottom H and end wall [2. are supplied to complete the box. The required hand operated flag (not shown) is supplied on the side of the box not shown.

Rearwardly spaced from the open end of the box and substantially midway the height of the near side wall 9 I have provided a stud bolt l3 which passes through an aperture. in the side wall and is secured by nut M. The stud bolt I3 Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a tiltable arm on the door or cover of a rural mail box which is adapted to rock the lever when the door is opened and closed.

Other advantages and objects will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a rural mail box having the preferred embodiment of my invention attached;

Figure 2 is a vertical cross section through the latch with the flag shown in the raised position; and,

Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective. view of the U-shaped latch head.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention I provide a rural mail box 4 which has an open functions as a pivot pin, and has a retaining The lower end of a resilient arm [5 is pivotally secured on the pivot pin I3, and a flag I6 is secured to the free end of arm I5 by means of spaced rivets IT which pass through aligned apertures in the flag it and arm IS.

A lever I8 is also pivotally mounted outside of arm [5 on the pivot pin [3 which passes through a transversely central opening I9 spaced from the end of said lever which has a head 25 U-shaped in transverse cross section. The end portion 2| of the lever opposed to the head 20 is arcuate as clearly shown in Figure 1 and is provided with a longitudinally extending central slot 22 provided to receive a stud screw 23 threaded into a rearwardly projecting tiltable arm 24. The body of the stud screw is enlarged at 25 and thus forms a shoulder for tightening the screw against the side face of tiltable arm 24. A kerfed head 23' is provided and when the screw is passed through the slot 22 and threaded tightly into arm 24 the lever end portion 2| is retained by the screw 23, but the screw has sliding engagement in the slot 22.

Tiltable arm 24 is formed with a semi-circular bend 26 to pass around the edge bead of door 5 and thence terminates in a right angle tongue 21 which is secured to the outside face of end covered by door 5 which is hinged to the the door as by bolts or metal screws 28.

The lever head comprises spaced parallel edge portions 29 which project at right angles to the lever body and are disposed inwardly toward the box. Each angular edge portion is triangular when viewed in transverse section tapers to a thin edge thus forming a cam edge 30.

The operation of my improved mail box is as follows:

Before the postman places mail within the box 4 the parts are disposed as shown in full line of Figure 1, the door 5 being closed with the flag in the lowered position and its resilient supporting arm [5 resting upon the supporting pin 3| 3 secured in the side wall 9 of the box 4. The postman opens the door by moving the door from the full line position to the open dotted position which causes tiltable arm 24 to be swung from its horizontal position to a substantially vertical position while the stud screw 23 traverses the slot 22 from the central position therein to the inner end of said slot and back to the outer end of the slot where it is shown by dotted lines of Figure 1. During this movement of the tiltable arm, the lever 18 is pivoted on pivot pin 13 and is shifted to the dotted position in juxtaposition with relation to resilient arm [5. The cam edge 30 of the leading angular edge-portion 29 flexes resilient arm I5 as it traverses its path and upon reaching juxtaposition with the arm, the arm l5 snaps back into position between the spaced angular edge portions where it is confined by both the leading and trailing edge portions against accidental displacement. After depositing the mail, the postman again closes door ,5 and this movement causes tiltable arm 24, and

therefore lever [8, to return to the full line positions of Figure 1. The flag l6, however, is raised to the dotted position by reason of the fact that its arm [5 is confined between the edge portions 29.

It is easily seen that manipulation of the door while depositing mail will automatically raise the flag indicator for observance by the patron.

When it is desired to lower the flag and not indicate mail has been left after the box has been opened and the flag raised, it is merely necessary to exert transverse pressure toward the box upon the upper end of arm [5 and the arm will be sprung to clear edge portions 29 and it may then belowered to rest on pin 3|.

1 Having thus described my invention, I claim:

An automatic flag raising attachment for a mail box having an open front end and a door hinged along its lower edge to cover said open end, comprising a tiltable arm secured to the face of said door, a stud screw having an enlarged body and a head threaded into said arm, a pivot pin on the box, said pivot pin having a head and being secured to the box by a nut, a lever pivotally mounted on the pivot pin; an arcuate end portion on the lever, a central slot in the end portion, said stud screw passing through the slot, a head on the opposite end of said lever, inwardly disposed angular edge portions on the head, cams on the edge portions, a resilient flag carrying arm pivotally mounted at its lower end on said pivot pin inside of the lever and a supporting pin for the flag arm when in the lowered position, whereby manipulation of the door causes the flag arm to be automatically raised.

No references cited. 

